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Farm Star Living

Mary Blackmon can tell you where to find fun and fresh food on the farm

Jodi Henke

Photo courtesy of Mary Blackmon

Mary Blackmon has lived most of her adult life in cities. A number of years ago she inherited a farm on the border of Arkansas and Louisiana, and was given the choice to keep it or sell it. She couldn’t bear to let it leave the family, so she left Los Angeles and moved back home. Mary says she was completely overwhelmed with farming – but also inspired by it.

"Throughout this process I kept thinking about how wonderful it would be to present this world to non-farmers in a way that people could also get involved with farming," says Mary. "Get to know farmers, and get in on this whole movement of getting to know the people behind your food."

Mary says she has met so many wonderful folks in the farming industry, and also knows there is a disconnect with people who have never been on a farm. She launched a website called “Farm Star Living” to celebrate this way of life, and have some fun in the process. The website showcases farms around the country that are open to the public for activities such as berry picking, hay rides, and vacations on the farm.

In addition to that, she also lists restaurants that feature farm-fresh food.

"We have the farm-to-table restaurants that are in every major city across the United States, so you can find a farm-to-table restaurant in every major market," says Mary. "When you’re traveling, or even in your own town if you want to go have food that’s supporting local farmers, your community, you can find them on the website and our Farm Star Living app."

Mary says she’s always looking for more “farm stars” to add to the website. These people should be interesting and passionate about what they do, and offer something that others can learn from.